Kemi Badenoch has clarified that she is not calling for the UK to join Donald Trump’s military actions against Iran, despite previously stating that Keir Starmer should do more to “stop the people who are attacking us.”
Labour accused Badenoch of having a confusing stance after the Conservative leader mentioned that she wasn’t urging the government to participate in US and Israeli strikes on Iran, but insisted that the UK should “do more than catch the arrows” and “take out” missile launchers.
During an interview on BBC on Tuesday, Badenoch was asked if it made sense to call for the UK to join a war while also complaining about rising energy costs without questioning the strategy involved.
She responded by saying that she hadn’t called for Britain to enter the conflict, but she does support US and Israeli actions. “I said that we support their actions. I never said we should join,” Badenoch stated. “I did say that where British bases are being attacked, we should do more than catch the arrows. We should stop the people who are attacking us. Stop the archer.”
When pressed for clarification, she explained: “When missiles are being fired, the launchers which are kept deep underground come out. If you take out the capacity, that means that they will stop sending missiles over. So don’t just catch the arrows. Stop the archer.”
“If all you do is try and catch arrows, you will get hit … Although I do say that when it comes to both sides, I will always be on the side of the US and Israel, not Iran.”
“That doesn’t mean that we should join … those strikes. It’s very important that we let people know what is going on. The government is trying to muddy the waters and stop criticism. I will not accept that – I’m going to do my job and make sure that they are held to account.”
Badenoch has consistently expressed her belief that the UK should target Iranian weaponry to prevent threats against British bases; however, she clearly stated she does not want “troops on the ground.”
Downing Street believes targeting Iranian launch sites would be legal as a defensive measure but has no plans for direct involvement beyond allowing US access to its military bases.
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